Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?
When creating a prelim task we had to add a 180 degree shot, match on action and an over the shoulder shot. By doing this exercise it gave me a better understanding of shots and angles. I tried to portray this understanding through my opening sequence. The problem was that since I was only adding in short clips throughout the opening it would be hard to include these shots also what made it hard was that my opening sequence would only have one character in it and there identity wouldn't be relieved. Doing the prelim task though did give me the idea of the doing my panning shot at the beginning of my opening sequence. By doing it in my prelim task I noticed that it was a good way of showing the location to the viewer and it worked well in my opening sequence.
Another technique that I picked up from the prelim task was by how going in and out of focus can give a shot more depth and can make a boring shot more interesting. I did this in our prelim as an experiment to see if it worked and it did so we added it in. I then did the same when I was shooting my opening sequence because it worked well in the prelim task.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
This is me holding a tripod stand, It was very useful when filming my opening sequence I used it to keep the camera steady so that the shot didn't turn out shaky. It is also adjustable so that you can change the shot easily.
This is an image of me holding the camera I used to film my opening sequence. It is a good camera and shots in a good quality this helps because when capturing your footage.
I used a green screen for one part of my opening sequence. This was very useful and I learnt alot about how this technology works and it also gave me an idea of how to use it in the future.
I used an IMac computer to edit my opening sequence.
I used Adobe Premier Pro to capture and also edit my opening sequence. I learnt many new things when editing my opening and I also learnt alot about the FX and how to control them properly.
I used the After Effects to edit and apply the FX to the green screen. I had never used this before and it was both challenging and fun learning how to use it. I will defiantly use it again.
I used YouTube to upload my video so then I could transfer it into my blog.
Who would be the audience for your media production?
My audience for my film would be older teenagers aged between 17 and 25. Also adults over 25 would also be another audience aswell. My audience would be interested in my film because it scary and also will have graphic scenes in which will contain blood and gore. A younger audience wouldn't be interested because it would be to violent and scary for them to watch.
This is Charlie Jackson he is 17 years old and is a student at the Leigh Technology Academy in Dartford. He lives in Dartford with his mum and dad and his little brother.
He enjoys playing football with friends, going to watch films with friends and hanging out with his girlfriend. He cares about how his appearance, he shops in places like Topman, Burtons and Next.
He enjoys films such as 28 Days Later, Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland. He likes getting films on DVD and sitting at home and watching them either with his friends or family. He also likes eating chocolate whilst watching films.
He listens to a wide range of music, he listens to new stuff that is in the charts and also listens to old songs. He likes listening to dubstep especially through big speakers. He also likes pop punk, he listens to such artists as Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco.
He enjoys such TV programs as The Walking Dead, Scrubs, The Inbetweeners, Family Guy and Lost. He also enjoys watching the F1 on TV on sundays and also occasionally watches motorbike racing when its on.
I think my film would appeal to Charlie because zombies interest him and he also enjoys watching scary movies. It is also similar to other types of films that he watches. I think he would watch this film with his friends because it would be something they would hang out and watch together.
Feedback
The feedback I got from the class was very constructive because both told me what they liked and also what I could improve on if I did it again. Aimee said that she liked my special FX that I added onto my first clip and said it made the land seem like it was bleeding. She also thought that my music and shot sequence worked well together and that I placed my titles well where the music let me. The thing that she critiqued on was that there could of been more shots of zombies so it was more zombie based. I think if was able to do this again I would have more shots of zombies in different places. This impacts on the story just like Kirsten said that because there wasn't many zombies in the actual opening and this would distort the story a little and if I had to do it again I would defiantly put more zombies in the opening to make the story more clear. Many of my viewers have made the same comment about the lack of zombies and the reason why I didn't put many in there was because I didn't want to give to much away and this create tension towards the end of the opening sequence. Most of my viewers like Yvonne said that she like the way that I built tension in my opening sequence through the way I use shot clips because the viewer will never get bored and will always be surprised by what is coming next.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Script
A production company is an organization that helps fund the film. This in turn affects how the film will come out because of the amount of the money that is going into it. If the film has a low budget this means that they won't much money to put towards actors, crew, equipment and FX. This means that the director and creator will have to be more creative because of the situation they are in. On the other hand if the production company had a big budget then film will use more specified equipment and there FX will be to a better standard. This does mean the director will have to use all equipment properly.
My production company was called Black Sheep Productions this gives off a scary feel. I makes it sound like the production company are use producing scary movies. I think it also adds towards adding tension towards the opening sequence. The name also makes it sound like it is high budget production company. This also a simple name so people will not forget it when they see my opening. The role of my media company will be to find an fund small budget horror movies.
Distributors are companies that help to distribute the films to different places around the world. They have the contacts in media industry that will let them broadcast trailers and other advertisements. That will make people want to see the film and after it had been shown will be paid by the producers for advertising the film. An example of a distribution company is 20th Century Fox.
To fund my movie I would rely on a production company that will get money from a bank which they will use. They might also get money from an investor aswell this will be either a person or a company that will give money towards the film being made and will expect a share of the profit when the film is released.
When putting my titles in order I put the production company first because they made the film happen by giving money towards it. I also gave credit to the writer because he wrote the story and next I gave credit towards the two main actors because without them I wouldn't have the acting talent. I then added the directors name after this because he put it all together. I added in all the main companies and names that made my opening sequence what it was.
How does your media represent particular social groups?
When finding a character that is similar to my main character in my sequence I didn't have many options to pick from. Most zombie movies are similar in plot by this I mean that they have one central character who struggles to survive through the film. My plot is similar to this by having one main central character and I have compared my character to the Jim character from 28 days later.
Similarities
Both characters are in the same position, being surrounded by zombies and not knowing what to do next.
They are both similar in the sense that they both on there own at the beginning and have no one to turn to. They both most fight there way out of the situation they are in and they both want to find someone to accompany them.
They both are feeling similar emotions because they have no one to turn and there whole world has been turned upside down because all there family and friends are now dead.
They are both set in the same surroundings, both stories are set in England and around the London area.
Differences
The main difference between these two characters are that Jim from 28 Days Later is male and my character even though you don't actually see her face you her a female voice. This suggests that she is female.
There is also a difference in story plots between the two opening sequences. In 28 Days Later Jim wakes up from a coma to find that the world has ended and everyone has been turned into zombies. But in my opening sequence my character is aware of the apocalypse and is trying to survive through it.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
The title of the film
The title of my film is featured in the 9th frame. This is a simple title with a black background and a white writing. I made it simple so because I didn't want it to be to complex and ruin the opening sequence.By making it plain I also think that it represents the title of the film The Silence by this I mean that nothing is happening because the world has become silent. This type of title is quite stereotypical with horrors because its plain and that means that the viewer won't expect what's about to come onto the screen. This is the same with the opening sequence to Dawn of the Dead each title is in a plain font on a black screen and this means that the viewer won't see what's coming next and it will shock them even more. Whereas in the opening sequence for 28 Days Later they don't use the plain screen when portraying there titles. They use them on the shot and this way they don't carry the tension through the opening as well.
Setting/Location
The location of my film appears as the first shot in my opening. In the 1st key frame I set the location as somewhere on Earth, I do this by panning round a big empty field and not only does this show the location it also shows emptiness and that no one is around. I also do this in the 2nd frame where I show the outside of a house with blood speared across the door, this also gives off the idea of loneness to the viewer and also of the location. This is different to the opening to Dawn of the Dead which has clips from all over the world and also there people in these clips because they have used old and new news clips which make it look like the world is in panic.
Costumes and props
Normally in zombie films they rely on costumes because the realer the zombie looks the easier it is to believe the story and to make a zombie look real you need good make-up and a good costume and these cost quite alot of money. I did not have these so I tried to make my best looking zombie using make-up that I had borrowed. The costume that my zombie was wearing was a fairly standard shirt, top and jumper but we messed these so that she looked rough. I didn't really use any props in my opening sequence apart from my location.
Camerawork and editing
I tried to use as many different shots as I could when shooting this sequence. I used many different shots so that I could keep the pace going in my piece and through this it would add tension. So every-time I shot something I would also shoot it from another angle and I would also look for interesting angles also ones that are creative. When shooting I tried to shot things that looked normal from the outside but then in the editing process I could make them look strange or scary. When editing I used a range of effects on most of my shots, from just the simple back and white effect to the colour distortion effect. I tried to time these right as well because in the first shot which is the first key frame I timed the effect so that as the clip progressed more of the effect would be added. This turned out really well. In the editing process I also found a position where I would be able to use the green screen. In the 7th frame this is shown, first I recorded the legs of some of my actors against the green screen then when I copied the footage onto the computer. I then put this clip into a program called Adobe After Effects and from here I could put an image into the background and use the green screen technology. I found this challenging but fun to do and it gave the shot a really rough look which went well.
This is a screenshot of my opening in development using Adobe PremierPro.
Title font and style
The title font in set up in a standard font just like all the other titles in the sequence they are also in the same position. This shows that the titles are simple and also that the opening sequence is on a simple subject.
Story and how the opening sets it up
In the first shot of my opening sequence a big empty field and then following in this a montage of clips showing different house my main character trying to close the door on something. These shots show that a character is trying to get away from something that hasn't been reveled yet. I show quite alot of different clips all stuck together into a montage and the beginning of the story is slowly reveled through this technique. Then the characters voice asks for help this gives the information that she is still alive. Then the character screams towards the end which may suggest the mystery creature has killed her but to keep the story going at the end. I added in the shot of a door opening and voice saying hello which will add in mystery and will make the viewer want to carry on watching the film. One of the criticisms I got from feedback was that the story wasn't explained clearly enough. I think I could use the feedback to improve on my opening by adding more story based shots into the montage so that the story is better explained.
Genre and how the opening suggests it
The genre of my film is a horror and my opening portrays this by being mysterious because most of my shots are random and don't make much sense towards a main story. The music used in my sequence also suggests that my opening is a horror because its fast paced which adds tension and its also quite dark which makes the viewer feel scared. I also think that the shots of the hands coming round the door suggest that the opening is a horror because this will shock the viewer and suggest violence.
How are characters introduced
My opening sequence only introduces the main character and it does this by introducing her voice only so that my opening sequence only revels a part of the character. This will make the viewer want to carry on watching my opening sequence so they can see what the main character looks like and also what the zombies look like.
Special FX
I used a big range on many of the my clips. I used FX to help give my shots a more creepy feel and I think they worked well. I also used green screen technology on one shot and this means that I could choose the background that I wanted which means that I could shot in a place that I wouldn't normally be able to get to.
